Tasukete: Save me
by fishergirl16
Summary: "I need you..." Sasuke is empty. Purposeless. Who can fill the void in his heart? "Save me, Hinata."
1. Chapter 1 - A Fateful Encounter

A ghostly blade pierced the body of the young man. All eyes stared in horror as blood spilled endlessly from the fatal wound. A strangled gasp fell from cold lips as the blade pulled out from his flesh, dark hair covering even darker obsidian eyes.

As he fell helplessly to the ground and maniacal laughter filled the terror-struck air, Sasuke felt soft, warm arms catch hold of his limp body. His chakra failed him; he couldn't identify the person holding him. _Were they even real?_

Nevertheless, the black-haired shinobi felt calm in the tender embrace. Cracking his eyes open ever so slightly, he caught a glimpse of pale skin and dark hair.

_Is that...mother?_

As all his senses began to fade away, an eternal darkness took hold of Sasuke.

_Is this what death feels like, nii-san?_

* * *

Hinata panicked as the young man in her arms quickly lost more blood by the second. He was slipping into unconsciousness. This was bad.

_Very_ bad.

Hinata was never as good of a medic as Sakura, but she knew her fair share of techniques. Activating her Byakugan, she frantically scanned the dying body. He had been pierced through the stomach, his organs ravaged brutally. Her small palms glowing in blue chakra, Hinata placed her hands on Sasuke's abdomen, trying her best to reduce the bleeding. But she couldn't do this alone.

Searching desperately for a medic-nin, she saw Naruto. He was occupied fighting Madara's Susanoo, his fury increased tenfold by Sasuke's deadly injury. Naruto glanced at Hinata for a slight moment, silently begging that she somehow save Sasuke.

The Hyuuga silently promised herself she would save Sasuke if it cost her life, for Naruto-kun's sake. With relief, Hinata spotted Sakura sprinting towards the scene.

The pink-haired medic, panting heavily, sat on her knees beside Sasuke's body and surveyed the damage. Resisting her urges to burst into tears, Sakura worked diligently, stopping the endless flow of blood and mending the damaged organs. Hinata followed the medic's lead without fail.

Over several exhausting hours, the two medic-nin worked tirelessly to gain a semblance of control over the Uchiha's body, but the man was constantly dipping into a near-death state. Naruto and other shinobi protected them at all costs, however, the situation began to seem futile. Sasuke was too stubborn to live or die.

When the two women had been tending to Sasuke for more than five hours, their chakras almost depleted and the situation still not brightening, Tsunade removed herself from the battle and walked towards them. Placing a tender hand on Sakura's shoulder, the Hokage's pupil turned and met an expression on her sensei's face that she knew only too well. Sakura felt herself grow bitter. _How can she expect me to let him go?_

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura wanted her outburst to sound threatening, but it surfaced itself as only a strangled sob.

Hinata looked on at the heart-wrenching scene, finally casting her eyes downward. She understood Tsunade-sama's intentions. The Hokage was forced to make tough decisions. Sakura was an indispensable medic-nin, and many more were dying besides Sasuke. Not to mention that Sasuke himself was a missing-nin, and although he was currently helping Konoha, nothing could be confidently said about where the Uchiha's allegiance stood. In any case, it was imperative that Sakura return to the battlefield to continue healing.

But Hinata was a different matter.

"Sakura, you must go." Tsunade's voice was tight, her expression pained. "The Shinobi Alliance needs you."

Sobs continued to rack the medic-nin's body, and her emerald eyes were crimson-rimmed from the hours of despair. _Sasuke-kun..._

A soft, hesitant voice broke the tense atmosphere.

"Ano, Tsunade-sama, may I look after Sasuke in Sakura's stead?"

Hinata's lavender eyes glinted with determination, contrasting with her rather timid voice. She wasn't about to break the silent promise she made to Naruto.

Tsunade smiled warmly at Hinata's proposition. _This should ease some of Sakura's tension._

"Of course, Hinata."

With the Hokage's approval, the Hyuuga Heiress looked back to the handsome, damaged young man before her. She placed her chakra-infused palms once more on him and continued mending his broken body.

Sakura found herself slightly more at ease when she felt Hinata's determination to save Sasuke. Cupping the raven-haired girl's cheek in her hand, she whispered desperately into her friend's ear.

"Please...please don't let him die, Hinata."

Patting the hand on her cheek reassuringly, Hinata locked her lavender eyes with Sakura's glistening emerald orbs.

"I won't."

* * *

Two voices chattered softly in the distance. The noise irritated him, disrupting the quiet of the engulfing darkness. He could feel soft palms gliding over his body, but the feeling was so distant that he didn't think anything of it.

Supposedly, most people see a blinding light when they pass away. Or, at least, that's what rumors say. _But I've been shrouded in darkness my whole life, blinded by revenge. This blackness is no different. _

Sasuke thought of his family, their faces passing through his mind. His stoic father, his kind mother...his caring brother. He remembered the joyful days when Itachi would poke his forehead, when he would climb on his shoulders and watch in awe at Itachi's training.

_I killed him.. I was too stupid to realize that everything he did was for me. _

But then again, he never had known the truth until after his brother's death. Itachi was right in saying that he should have told Sasuke the truth. The sharingan user still held a brooding grudge against the Konoha Elders, but after hearing Hashirama's account of Konoha's history, he felt it necessary to carry on the will of fire that Itachi had. Sasuke wanted to restore his clan and change Konoha to become more accepting of the Uchiha. Madara's mistake all those years ago could be overridden. Destruction had no future, but change did.

_But, I'm dying, so there's really no point anymore. I'll find peace in death, I guess. At least I died fighting for Konoha. _

His roaming thoughts slowly moved to the shinobi he spent much of his life with. The same shinobi that were probably continuing to fight as he drifted into nothingness.

_Are they mourning me?_

The sharingan user sighed and a smirk almost appeared on his nonexistent face.

_Well, I abandoned them for so long. I highly doubt they would care much. Except maybe Naruto..._

The blonde-haired shinobi flashed through his mind. Sasuke had a bond with Naruto that he couldn't explain. It had never broken, despite his desperate attempts. Whether it was one of friendship or hate, no one would know, but there was something there. Fighting alongside Naruto in the last hours of his life had been interesting and nostalgic. A flash from the past.

_For God's sake, I'm getting sentimental now about that blonde idiot. Just let me die already._

Slowly, he felt one of the distant voices he had been hearing drift away. Only one tender voice remained. It breathed softly and was filled with determination. Sasuke recognized it as the small voice he had associated with his mother.

_Pale skin, dark hair...Wait, was she talking to herself? _

Sasuke quieted his talkative thoughts, tuning his ears to the noise. He focused his senses on deciphering the distant and quietly spoken words. Straining his ears, Sasuke finally was able to understand what the woman was chanting repeatedly.

"Sasuke-kun...please...don't die."

The sharingan user didn't recognize the voice, but was contented to think of the woman as his mother. Her tender voice calmed the man's mind and he rested in the peace that it brought. _Can't I get a little comfort in my last few moments?_

But then, sobs began to rack the soft voice. Distantly, he could feel tears on his body. Sasuke felt the instinct to calm the girl down, to assure her that everything was okay. He wanted her gentleness to wash over him once more. Why was she even crying?

_Oh. I'm dying. Right._

He listened painfully as the girl continued to sob. Wishing to wipe her tears away as if she was really his mother, Sasuke wondered if he could reach out his hand to her cheek. But she was so far way...

_Might as well try. I'm already half-dead anyways. _

Mustering all the strength left in him, the black-haired shinobi miraculously found connection with his body and raised his hand slightly. He listened as the quiet sobbing immediately stopped, and felt the weight of the girl's tense, hopeful gaze on his hand. Painfully, Sasuke barely opened his eyes to find the same pale skin and dark hair from before. Lifting his hand to her blurry cheek with all his might, his thumb passed across smooth skin, but all too soon his hand failed him and fell to the rough ground with a thud.

As his vision declined, Sasuke watched as strained lavender eyes met his own obsidian, and then the young shinobi was no more.

* * *

Hinata's tentative joy was unexplainable as she saw Sasuke's hand reach shakily towards her face. His vitals had stabilized, and he was finally, _finally_ out of the danger zone. The Hyuuga wiped sweat off her brow and sat back on her feet, allowing herself a well-needed rest. The Uchiha had drifted into slumber, and she smiled as a sense of accomplishment took over her exhausted mind. Taking a look at his resting face, Hinata mused at how peaceful Sasuke looked in his sleep.

_Right now, he really doesn't look like the madman everyone claims him to be..._

Even though Hinata never knew Sasuke very well, through these hours of desperately trying to save him, she felt as if she had been on a long journey with the man before her. As if she understood him. Shaking her head at her silly thoughts, Hinata let a smile grace her face as she looked around the area for Tsunade or Sakura to inform about Sasuke's condition. Her eyes falling on Naruto, the young heiress' brows furrowed as she saw the blonde shinobi sprawled on the ground.

Quickly checking Sasuke's condition, Hinata ran to where Naruto was.

"Ano, Naruto-kun?"

She bent over the jinchuuriki and lightly tapped his shoulder. His bright, blue eyes fluttered open in surprise, but softened when he saw the girl before him.

"Hinata-chan...I did it."

Naruto sat up and smiled his usual, toothy grin, and Hinata couldn't help but follow his lead as well.

"I did it too, Naruto-kun."

At her words, if it was even possible, Naruto's smile grew wider. Forgetting all restraints, the blonde shinobi wrapped his arms around the girl from where she bent above him and pulled her down into his lap. As Naruto held her tightly, a crimson blush blossomed across Hinata's face, and she thought her cheeks were going to burn. A laugh escaped Naruto, and all of a sudden he fell to the ground with a thud, Hinata still on top of him.

"N-naruto-kun?! Are you okay?"

The Hyuuga almost started to panic, but a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned to see a smiling Hokage looking down at her.

"It's just the exhaustion, Hinata. Don't worry. I'm sure you need a good rest too."

"Tsunade-sama." Hinata felt her face brighten and was about to mention Sasuke when an excited pink-haired medic-nin pulled the lavender-eyed girl into a strong embrace.

"Arigatou, Hinata. I saw Sasuke-kun."

Hinata smiled warmly at the kunoichi before her.

_I really did it._

* * *

**A/N:** Recently, I've been in a SasuHina craze. I think they're a really adorable couple, even if its rather unreasonable canon-wise. Anyway, here's the product of my SasuHina musings. I'm really excited about this story; I already have a lot written! Pretty interesting stuff coming up, so please review, favorite, follow, and whatever else everyone does! ^-^ Since I already have a good amount written, I'll be posting regularly. Every week or every other week. Please look forward to it~


	2. Chapter 2 - A New Beginning

"Nani?! Tsunade-baa-chan, you can't do this!"

Naruto's indignant outburst at the Hokage was met with a pained sigh.

"Naruto, there's nothing else I can do. That Uchiha is a criminal; in reality, your relationship with him can't change anything."

Naruto only stared at the Hokage, unseeing and his jaw clenched, but Hinata felt herself almost tear up at the sudden revelation. It had only been two days since the end of the war. _Two days_. And Sasuke was already being moved from the hospital to the prison for torture, questioning, and who knows what else. Hinata had seen the wound Madara's Susanoo had given the Uchiha; it was a deadly chakra wound that wouldn't heal completely for months. Without proper treatment, it could literally suck the life out of him. Hesitantly, the Hyuuga rose her voice.

"Demo, Tsunade-sama, couldn't Sasuke's wounds be life-threatening without treatment?"

Tsunade sighed again, feeling worn out. "I've talked to the Anbu, Hinata. I promise I've explained everything to them. It's just been decided that Sasuke's too dangerous to keep in the hospital. With the Akatsuki gone, he doesn't provide much valuable information either. Rather, his death might even help our relationship with other nations. The Raikage still holds a large grudge on the Uchiha."

"H-hai.."

Hinata felt her voice hitch and mentally berated herself.

_It's Naruto-kun who's more devastated now, not me..._

Worried lavender eyes flicked to listless blue. The blonde shinobi's face was pale, his usual warm tan dulled and sucked of life. He hadn't even been able to speak out against the action. Over the years, Naruto had learned which battles were better left unfought. Sasuke's current situation was unfortunately the best action for Konoha at this point in time. But that didn't make it any less painful.

Seeing Naruto so depressed and given up caused Hinata's heart to clench painfully.

_There has to be something I can do. Something to help Sasuke, for Naruto-kun's sake... But what?_

Fingering the ends of her sleeves in thought, Hinata looked at her palms and remembered the Byakugan sealing techniques that her father taught her during the war. Maybe she could seal Sasuke's chakra while treating him to appease the Anbu...

_It probably won't work, but I've got to try!_

Taking one more glance at Naruto, Hinata focused her eyes on Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama, with the Byakugan sealing technique, I can seal Sasuke's chakra, r-rendering him powerless. Couldn't I do this and th-then treat him?

Tsunade narrowed her amber eyes at the young, hesitant girl. "Hinata, I'm sure you know the excruciating pain that jutsu can cause. And couldn't there be repercussions for your own body as well?"

"Yes. But, with proper chakra control, I can avoid any injuries to myself. But as for Sasuke...it will be rather painful."

Hinata's voice saddened as she mentioned the last sentence. But it was necessary to appease the Anbu. At least Sasuke would be able to live...

"I understand. I will discuss this with the Elders and you will be notified when a decision is made."

Sighing, Tsunade looked between Hinata and Naruto. The Hyuuga's plan could work, but even then, Sasuke's penalty was likely to be death. Tsunade thought of her own pupil, Sakura, and how devastated the medic-nin would be at the Uchiha's death. Sakura was actually planning to be at this meeting with Hinata and Naruto, but was called in to work at the hospital suddenly.

Nodding at the two shinobi before her, Tsunade dismissed them from her office. The Hokage rubbed her temples and leaned on the desk in frustration.

"Ugh, Shizune, when is Naruto going to take my place already?"

The Hokage's assistant sauntered into the office, carrying some paperwork, her faithful pig in tow.

"I don't know, Tsunade-sama. But that boy seems to have a lot on his plate right now..."

* * *

Sasuke growled at the chains holding him. The confined cell was dark, cold, and damp. The shinobi couldn't even lift his arm, let alone use any of his chakra. His kekkei genkai was completely sealed as well. He couldn't see anything, but Sasuke wasn't sure if he was blindfolded or if the room was just so dark.

He'd been treated by Sakura in the hospital for the past two days, but even then he'd only regained consciousness for one day. Why were they treating him like this? Didn't he help in the war? The Uchiha knew his status as a traitor, but he needed to be pardoned somehow in order to continue his brother's dream. Sasuke just wanted the normal life of a shinobi from here on out...or at least, that's what he felt was right.

_But if I die here, at the hands of these Konoha idiots, nothing is going to happen. _

An annoyed sigh escaped Sasuke's lips.

_I guess I'll have to cooperate willingly through all this. _

Although, if he had to die, Sasuke felt it would be best if he died in Konoha, even as a prisoner.

_If Itachi had been captured when he was a member of the Akatsuki, he probably would have died like this too, right?_

Maybe, but Sasuke just didn't want to think about that right now.

One thing continued to irk him, however. He still didn't know who the pale-skinned, dark-haired girl was from the battlefield. His memory failed him of that day, but he couldn't forget her soft voice and determination. Sasuke rubbed his fingers together absently.

_Her cheek was so soft..._

The sharingan user pulled himself from his thoughts as the door creaked open and someone stepped into the room. Sasuke heard strong footsteps fill the cell. They stopped in front of him, and he started when a rough hand grabbed his chin.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Look at me." Sasuke's blindfold was ripped off and he blinked in pain and surprise at the flood of light.

"You will answer all my questions truthfully. What you say here will help determine the penalty for your crimes. Although, you're probably gonna get the chair no matter what you say. Your whole family was a bunch of assholes anyway." A smirk tugged at the brute's lips.

Sasuke felt his anger flare at the man's spiteful remark, but calmed himself, knowing that he'd personally change the view of the Uchiha clan in time.

_Respect will overcome disgrace. _

"I will tell you anything you ask of me." The Uchiha bore holes into the interrogator's eyes, his glare contrasting with his compliant reply.

_Here we go..._

* * *

As Naruto and Hinata left the Hokage office together, a hopeful gleam emerged in the blonde's eyes. He turned to Hinata and smiled brightly.

"Arigatou, Hinata-chan."

A blush formed on the girl's face, but she returned the smile sincerely.

"N-no problem, Naruto-kun. I want to help Sasuke too."

They walked quietly side by side until they reached the base of the Hokage tower, but Naruto looked rather fidgety. The girl stole glances at him every now and then, wondering what would make him like that. Hinata had a Hyuuga council meeting to attend, but it wasn't very urgent. As they reached the doors, she turned to say goodbye when a strong, warm hand grabbed her wrist. The kunoichi's brows furrowed in confusion as she saw Naruto's bright blue eyes flit around nervously.

"Hinata-chan...I'm going to go catch some lunch at Ichiraku's. Would...you want to come along?"

His eyes settled on her hopefully, but she felt terribly self-conscious as a dark blush blossomed across her cheeks. Naruto didn't seem to notice however, as always, and Hinata secretly thanked God for the boy's obtuseness. Taking an inaudible sigh, Hinata reminded herself that this outing had to be only on the business of Sasuke. She felt a slight disappointment, but had been used to Naruto's disinterest in her. She just enjoyed the time that she could spend with the shinobi.

"Sure, Naruto-kun."

Hinata smiled at Naruto genuinely, trying her best to reduce the heat growing on her cheeks. The boy's eyes brightened instantly, and he flashed his charming grin at the girl, only deepening her blush.

_I guess the council meeting can wait._

The pair walked towards the famous ramen shop, and Naruto chattered incessantly along the way.

"Hinata-chan, can you believe it? The war is finally over... As of now, the shinobi nations are all cooperating together. If it wasn't for Sasuke's situation, the world would be perfect."

"I know, N-naruto-kun. It's pretty a-amazing."

"Yeah...by the way, how's your Clan doing? Are you going to be taking over your father's position anytime soon?"

"Not yet, but my father is planning to s-step down soon, so I am taking lessons and attending meetings to be ready for that time."

"Huh. Sounds like a lot of work." He made a disgusted face, causing Hinata to giggle. Naruto smiled at her reaction.

_She's so cute when she laughs..._

Hinata was terribly nervous at first, but found herself relaxing as the conversation went on. Naruto's pleasant demeanor was intoxicating.

"Maybe, but the Hyuuga clan leader is a big job. How about you, Naruto? When will you be taking on the role of Hokage? I'm sure Tsunade-sama would be glad to give you the position."

Naruto looked away and his face darkened immediately. Hinata wondered if she had said something wrong.

"Naruto-kun...are you okay?"

"Hai, Hinata-chan. Sorry, it's just not something I want to talk about right now."

"I see...I'm sorry."

Naruto punched her arm playfully, shooting her a small smile.

"It's nothing you need to apologize for, baka."

Hinata smiled at the blonde shinobi, and the two walked into the small stall they had arrived at.

Naruto took a seat and pulled out the stool next to him for Hinata, causing the girl to blush lightly.

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun."

The shinobi nodded in response to her gratitude, and turned to face the old man in front of him.

"Could we have two bowls of ramen?"

"Coming right up. I see you brought your girlfriend today, Naruto. How long have you two been dating?"

The old man grinned as both Naruto and Hinata's cheeks turned beet red.

Naruto scratched the back of his head as he laughed nervously.

"Ossan...this is just Hinata-chan...we're not dating or anything."

Hinata looked down at her hands, too embarrassed to say anything.

"Oh...I see. Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you two started dating," the old man replied amicably.

The blonde shinobi laughed again before turning his gaze worriedly at Hinata. She had somewhat retracted into herself, her face still burning.

_Ossan, why'd you have to say that? Now Hinata-chan is all uncomfortable._

"Sorry, Hinata-chan. I hope you're all right."

Hinata calmed her frazzled nerves and smiled warmly at Naruto, a dusting of pink still staining her cheeks.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun."

_She's so beautiful..._

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts as the old man placed two bowls of ramen in front of the teenagers. Hinata smiled and ducked her head slightly in thanks.

They began to eat, and Hinata realized that she was actually rather hungry. It had been a long, tiring day. In the morning, she trained for an hour or so with Kiba and Shino. After Hinata returned to the Hyuuga compound, she was required to fill out paperwork and attend a council meeting. Then the tense conversation with Tsunade. The day was only half over and she already yearned to take a rest.

_At least I can enjoy this time with Naruto-kun._

"Hinata-chan, if your plan works, are you really going to be treating Sasuke-teme?"

Hinata turned to face Naruto, only to see him stuffing his face with ramen. She couldn't help but giggle softly despite the seriousness of the shinobi's question. Naruto smiled slightly in embarrassment.

"Hai, Naruto-kun."

"Be careful, okay? We still don't know whether Sasuke is on our side or not...and...I'd hate to see you get hurt."

Naruto looked at her intensely, causing Hinata's cheeks to grow warm again. As she was about to reply, the blonde began once more.

"So... I was wondering if I could ask Tsunade-baa-chan to let me come with you for Sasuke's first treatment… If the elders approve of the plan, I mean. Are you okay with that, Hinata-chan?"

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun. I would be really glad!"

Hinata's reply caused Naruto to break out into a big grin. He had the urge to pull her into a hug, but restrained himself considering where they were. Finishing up their meals, the two shinobi pulled out their wallets to pay for the food. Naruto glanced at Hinata and panicked when he realized that she was pulling out her own money.

_No, Hinata-chan! I want to pay for you! _

"Hinata-chan, don't worry about the money...I've got it."

"No, Naruto-kun! I couldn't!"

"Really, I can handle it..."

"Demo...a-at least let me pay for my own f-food..."

"But that's the guy's job in a date.."

"Hai, but-"

Hinata froze when she realized what Naruto had just said. Her cheeks blossomed in pink and she felt her heart skip a beat.

_...A date? Nani?! D-demo, we're friends.._

Realizing his mistake, Naruto mentally slapped himself.

"Ahh...Sorry, Hinata-chan...I didn't mean to say 'date'..."

Hinata felt herself deflate a bit at his reply, but was relieved that Naruto spared her from much potential embarrassment.

"I-it's okay, Naruto-kun."

"But really, please let me pay for you. I really want to."

His sincere request made Hinata's heart skip a beat, and she finally gave in, too embarrassed to bicker anymore.

"Okay...Arigatou."

She smiled, a blush still dusting her cheeks, and he sent a grin her way as well.

After Naruto paid for their meals, the pair walked out of the stall. The old man chuckled as he saw them leave. Their antics had entertained him greatly.

"Those two must really like each other."

As they left the ramen shop, Hinata almost gasped at the gorgeous view. It was nearing sunset, and the world glimmered in gold and purple hues. The sun loomed in the distance, a large red ball of fire. She took a deep breath, enjoying the peace that nature gave so willingly. Konoha was really a marvelous place. Hinata then turned to Naruto, who also seemed to take in the beautiful scenery. His golden hair complimented the colors of the sunset, his head tilted towards the sky and his bright blue eyes exploring thoughtfully. A breeze passed through the street, ruffling his deep orange hair. Blushing slightly, Hinata shook her head and spoke up hesitantly.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you later, Naruto-kun."

"Hai." Naruto turned to her and smiled. "Do you want me to walk you home, Hinata-chan?"

"No, it's really all right."

"Okay, if you say so. Hopefully we'll be getting some good news about Sasuke, ne?"

Both Naruto and Hinata yelped in surprise when a third voice entered the conversation.

"Yes, you are getting some good news."

A shinobi jumped down from a nearby tree. Upon looking closer, it was Yamato, the Anbu Captain.

"Don't do that, Yamato-taichou...it's scary...right, Hinata-chan?"

Naruto looked to Hinata and they both giggled slightly.

"I knew I'd find you here, Naruto. But with Hinata, too? I really struck the jackpot."

The three laughed, but Yamato's expression quickly turned serious as he addressed the two shinobi before him.

"Naruto, Hinata, Tsunade-sama sent me." Yamato then turned to Hinata. "Your request has been accepted by the Elders. You will be allowed to treat Uchiha Sasuke once a day, during the afternoon.

Hinata exhaled in relief and her face brightened, as did Naruto's.

_It really worked!_

"But, as we don't know whether Sasuke is really on our side yet, you are required to supervise Hinata's treatments at least once a week, Naruto."

"Hai!" Naruto and Hinata both chimed, exuberant.

"Arigatou, Yamato-taichou!" Naruto exclaimed happily. Hinata smiled and bowed her head slightly.

"Don't be thanking me. Tsunade-sama worked hard to get your request approved by the Elders. She is happy as well...Anyway, I've got some work to do. Don't go crazy, you two lovebirds," Yamato smiled and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Because he had already left, Naruto and Hinata couldn't exactly argue with Yamato's accusation. They both blushed deeply, but soon turned to each other, excited.

"Everything worked out w-well!"

"I know, Hinata-chan. So...I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow afternoon?"

The blonde shinobi smiled and lavender eyes crinkled in response.

"Hai! See you soon, Naruto-kun."

* * *

**A/N****: **I want to thank everyone so much for all the wonderful feedback last chapter! I wasn't expecting so much appreciation in just the first week. ^-^ It really motivates me to keep writing. Anyway, I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I know there was a lot of NaruHina; I admit that I enjoy that couple as well. . Sorry if you don't share my NaruHina tendencies, haha! But don't worry; there is _lots_ of SasuHina in store, hehe. :D Please review, follow, and favorite 3 It means so much!


	3. Chapter 3 - A Heartfelt Treatment

Hinata hurried from the Hyuuga compound. She'd been in a meeting, but it went over the scheduled time and it was already one o'clock.

_I was supposed to meet Naruto-kun fifteen minutes ago! I hope he's not worried._

Panting, the girl finally arrived at the Konoha prison. It wasn't dark and gloomy as one would expect...rather, it looked much like a regular building. The minor crimes and misdemeanors were sectioned in the upper levels, while Sasuke was in one of the lower floors. He was considered a dangerous criminal.

Upon seeing Naruto, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and waved to the shinobi. He waved back and ran up to her.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun...there was a Hyuuga...meeting and it...went over time," the girl managed to say between gasps.

Patting her shoulder affectionately, Naruto gave her his trademark smile.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, let's catch up to Tsunade-baa-chan over there."

The blonde pointed in the distance and Hinata followed his finger to see the Hokage waiting at the entrance of the prison. The Hyuuga felt a pang of guilt.

_...I kept Tsunade-sama waiting as well._

The two shinobi quickly made their way to Tsunade, who gave them an annoyed glare.

"It's about time."

Hinata felt herself shrink in embarrassment and guilt, but the Hokage didn't dwell on the kunoichi's late arrival. Instead, Tsunade nodded seriously at the two shinobi before her.

"Naruto, Hinata, I hope you're prepared to see Sasuke...He's rather beat up. Be careful while you are inside. Make sure you don't let your guard down. And Hinata, don't hold back when performing your sealing jutsu. Sasuke will be in extreme pain, but the process is necessary. Understood?"

"Hai!"

Hinata had been worrying about the pain Sasuke would feel during the chakra-sealing jutsu. It was excruciating, and even her father had told her that the jutsu should only be used as a last resort. Even though the girl was a kunoichi, she still was against causing pain to others when possible. But in this situation, it had to be done.

"I have work to do, so I will take my leave now. I believe you two will be able to handle things from here. Good luck."

Naruto and Hinata nodded before entering the prison. It was a rare sight for the two of them; they never had much need to come here regularly. The prison was built inside like a pagoda, with a central staircase that allowed access to all the levels. The lights inside were rather dim, and it took a few minutes for the two shinobis' eyes to adjust.

Having been given instructions earlier, Naruto and Hinata made their way down to one of the lower floors. They stayed quiet while walking down the winding staircase, not wanting to disturb the silent prison. Guards could be seen sleeping or talking quietly in some floors, while others were completely empty.

After they had reached the floor which held Sasuke's cell, the two walked down a narrow hallway with peeling walls and dim lighting. Hinata began to feel apprehensive, her mouth dry. The place wasn't very inviting. She worried about how she'd handle coming here on her own when Naruto was busy.

Naruto, feeling her slight fear, sent a warm smile her way. Hinata returned the gesture gratefully. Their echoing footsteps stopped as they came upon a large double door marked with sealing jutsus. Naruto performed a few hand signs and then slowly pushed the door open. The shinobi held it for Hinata to pass, and then released it. Despite being rather sturdy, the large door closed with just a soft click.

Naruto turned to Hinata, his eyes widening when he met her frightened pupils. Her mouth slightly agape, she stood rather frazzled. Tentatively, the blonde shinobi turned his blue eyes in front of him, and felt his breath hitch as he took in the sight before him.

Sasuke was slumped against the wall, his figure dimly lit from the torches around the small room. He was brutally beaten, bloodied and broken. His right arm was twisted at a sickening angle and blood dripped from a deep wound in his side. The sharingan user's clothes were tattered and his long, unkempt hair sticky with blood. He must have heard the two shinobi enter, as his head was slightly tilted up, apparently trying to sense their presence to no avail. Sasuke bore a blindfold across his eyes. Naruto recognized it as a sealing technique that disabled the Uchiha's kekkei genkai. The blonde felt his temper flare at seeing his friend treated in such a way, but calmed himself, knowing that this was for the village, no matter how terrible.

Naruto was pulled from his pained observation as he heard a squeak from the girl beside him. Hinata felt tears wallow in her eyes, her mind spinning from seeing the battered shinobi before her. Placing a shaky hand over her mouth, the Hyuuga's legs weakened and she slid to the ground. She had seen blood and gore countless times before, but seeing Sasuke this way somehow inexplicably affected her.

The blonde shinobi kneeled on the floor beside Hinata, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan."

At the sound, Sasuke immediately perked up and turned his head painfully to where he heard the blonde's voice.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?"

His voice was raspy and weak. Sasuke cursed himself mentally. Even now, he hated feeling inferior around Naruto. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he heard a quiet sobbing near where Naruto's voice had been. It was an oddly familiar sound, but he couldn't place where he'd heard it before. "Hinata" was her name, apparently. Sasuke racked his memories to find a match to the name, and a young, shy girl's face popped up in his mind. The sharingan user recognized her as the girl who always seemed to worship Naruto. She had also been part of the Hyuuga clan, if his memory served correctly. From all of the thinking, his head started to pound, and he became even more painfully aware of the brutal wounds he had sustained.

Naruto turned to Sasuke at the sound of his voice.

"Don't talk, teme. You're hurt pretty bad."

The blonde's voice cracked slightly as he spoke. He was also feeling hurt by Sasuke's current state. Naruto turned back to Hinata, who was starting to calm herself down. She felt ashamed that she had broken down in this way, but was now even more determined to heal Sasuke. Hinata wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave Naruto a slight nod. The shinobi smiled in response and helped the Hyuuga to her feet. Taking a deep breath, Naruto walked up to Sasuke and pulled off his blindfold. The sharingan user blinked at the sudden light before focusing his eyes on Naruto and the petite girl next to him.

"Sasuke, I don't know if you remember, but Hinata-chan here was the one who healed you when you were stabbed by Madara. She's going to be giving you treatment every day from now on."

Sasuke eyed the girl next to Naruto, now clearly able to remember her. She had beautiful lavender eyes and long raven hair. The Hyuuga had clearly changed from her younger days.

_So she was the pale-skinned, dark-haired girl..._

"Why am I being given treatment? Aren't I a traitor?"

"The punishment for your actions has not been decided yet... Until then, you must be kept alive," Naruto answered, his voice cracking.

Sasuke smirked slightly, although even that small gesture made him wince in pain.

"Barely alive, I assume..."

Naruto's cerulean eyes flicked to the ground at Sasuke's remark. He wished he could spare Sasuke such a cruel fate, but it was brought upon by the Uchiha himself. Hinata stepped forward and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, smiling at him slightly. Her eyes glinted with determination, causing the blonde shinobi to smile softly as well. She hesitantly turned to Sasuke and bowed.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun. My name is Hyuuga Hinata, and I will be assisting you from now on. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sasuke had to stop himself from smirking at Hinata's introduction.

_She sounds like she's a secretary or something, even though her job is just to barely keep me alive. _

The sharingan user couldn't deny that the girl's mannerisms were rather cute. He decided to humor himself by playing along with her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Hinata."

Hinata smiled softly at the shinobi's amicable reply, unaware of the Uchiha's amusement with her.

_Sasuke-kun doesn't seem like a bad person at all..._

Naruto, however, had caught on to Sasuke's sarcasm and narrowed his eyes slightly at him, causing a small smirk to embellish the black-haired shinobi's face. Despite his outward annoyance, the blonde was happy inside; Sasuke's more playful side was something Naruto hadn't seen in years. He let a grin take over his face and turned to Hinata.

"Well, Hinata-chan, take it away."

The blonde shinobi retreated to a corner of the room and made himself comfortable. He'd be there immediately if Sasuke showed any signs of aggression. After all, Naruto had become one of the fastest shinobi in the world, much like his father.

Hinata took a deep breath and focused her gaze on Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm going to enable a sealing jutsu that will disable your chakra as I treat you. It will be rather painful, but please bear it."

Sasuke was surprised by the sadness apparent in her eyes. She must really be a gentle person, to not even want to hurt an enemy. He wasn't worried about the pain, however. The sharingan user had already been through some brutal torture, and he felt he could pull through anything from now on.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, her temples straining with veins of flowing chakra. Placing her palms together, she began to form a variety of complicated hand signs at high speed. Even Sasuke was impressed by the advanced jutsu. Finally, Hinata put her hands flat on the ground and looked up at the Uchiha before her. Her eyes were hesitant and conveyed such profound distress that Sasuke was taken aback yet again.

"Are you r-ready, Sasuke-kun?"

The Uchiha began to doubt his previous confidence as he gazed into the Hyuuga's despondent lavender eyes. Maybe this jutsu could be rather painful after all.

"Yeah.."

Hinata took a small breath to recover her determination and placed her palms on the Uchiha's battered chest. Pouring her chakra into him, the Hyuuga concentrated on stopping each of Sasuke's chakra points one by one. She had to concentrate, otherwise the jutsu could cause damage to her own body. Hinata did her best to remain focused but couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her face as Sasuke's anguished cries filled the small room. Finally having finished the process, Hinata sat back on her feet, exhausted and emotionally distraught. She gazed at Sasuke, who was gasping for air on the ground.

The jutsu doesn't do any physical damage whatsoever to the victim, however, the excruciating pain is simulated by the neurons in the body as the chakra points are stopped. Sasuke had felt almost as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, except much more prolonged, leaving him utterly breathless and weakened.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Hinata turned to where Naruto sat for reassurance.

The blonde shinobi smiled weakly at her, nodding slightly to egg her on. He also felt distraught from his former teammate's excruciating display of pain.

Smiling softly at Naruto, Hinata told herself once more that the process was necessary to help Sasuke.

_I made a promise to Naruto-kun to help Sasuke. I can't let him down!_

Hinata felt her determination rise and turned to Sasuke. He was starting to recuperate somehow, sitting back against the wall but still dazed.

"Sasuke-kun, are you all right?"

The Uchiha's eyes focused on the Hyuuga Heiress before him, but his vision was still blurry. The scene reminded him of during the war, when all he had seen of Hinata was her pale skin and dark hair. Feeling the strange need to reassure her as he had felt back then, he spoke, his voice raspy and barely above a whisper.

"I'm...all right."

A relieved smile overcame Hinata's face, and her lavender eyes met the Uchiha's obsidian as she replied sincerely.

"I'm so glad."

Over the next few hours, Hinata treated each of Sasuke's wounds with tender care. After the initial pain, the shinobi's mind began to clear and he was able to focus on the thoughtful girl before him. The Uchiha was truly surprised by her sincere kindness to him, even though he was a traitor to Konoha and practically a stranger to Hinata. Her touch was always gentle, and whenever something was going to hurt, the Hyuuga would inform him first or ask him if he was all right. When Sasuke had first seen Hinata as Madara's blade pierced him, he had immediately connected the girl's appearance to his mother. Despite knowing her identity now, he still couldn't help but equate her compassionate nature to that of his mother.

The room was mostly silent during the treatment, although some talk would pass between the three shinobi from time to time. Sasuke just enjoyed gazing at Hinata, analyzing her mannerisms, sometimes smirking slightly at her over-cautious behavior.

When Hinata had finally finished, she took a deep breath and wiped sweat off her brow. It was a long process, and she had used quite a lot of chakra. Now all that was left was to undo the sealing jutsu. Thankfully, this part of the procedure didn't cause much pain. Hinata placed her palms on Sasuke's chest once more and began to restore the Uchiha's flow of chakra, her brow furrowed in concentration. As the last chakra point was restored, Hinata sat back and gave Sasuke a bright smile.

"You're all done!"

"Hn.."

Sasuke marveled at the Hyuuga's work. Flexing his fingers, he couldn't help but notice how renewed his body felt. Even his broken right arm was almost completely healed.

_She must be an experienced healer..._

The Hyuuga Heiress picked up Sasuke's blindfold from its place on the floor and tied it around his head carefully.

Naruto, who had almost fallen asleep, blinked in surprise as Hinata gently tapped his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun, we just finished."

"Ahh...Sorry, Hinata-chan," the blonde shinobi said as he stifled a yawn.

Giving Naruto a small smile, Hinata turned back to Sasuke and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun, for bearing through my treatment. I will be back tomorrow."

"Ah."

Sasuke felt the corner of his lips tug once more at the Hyuuga's overly polite manner.

Naruto got up and stretched as he turned towards Sasuke.

"Wow, Hinata-chan, how'd you heal Sasuke so well? He looks good as new..."

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun..," Hinata remarked, a slight blush adorning her cheeks.

"Well, we'll be going, Sasuke-teme. Don't...get yourself too hurt," Naruto said hesitantly.

The blonde wasn't really supposed to say such things, but he couldn't help but be concerned for his friend, even if he was a traitor.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, seemingly disinterested.

Naruto pulled the door open and held it for Hinata to pass. After one more glance at Sasuke, the shinobi allowed the door to close with a small click. He quickly performed a few hand signs to seal the door again.

The two walked down the narrow corridor once more, their footsteps echoing through the walls.

"Hinata-chan...you're a really good healer. It's pretty amazing that you fixed Sasuke up like that."

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun...It really wasn't too much. I just...felt really bad about causing Sasuke pain with the sealing jutsu."

Hinata felt tears coming to her eyes again, and begged herself to stay calm. Naruto noticed her troubled mind and gently patted her back.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan. We're both doing the best we can for Sasuke, now."

"Mm, I know."

When they reached the doors of the prison, Hinata turned to Naruto and smiled.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Naruto-kun. I'm going to train with Shino-kun and Kiba-kun now, so I'll be leaving."

"Ahh...really? Take it easy, okay? You just used a lot of chakra to heal Sasuke, you know."

"Mm, I'll be careful."

Hinata was glad that Naruto was concerned for her. Giving him a smile, she started to walk out of the prison, but was surprised when the blonde fell into step beside her.

"Would you mind if I trained with you guys...? I'm not busy or anything, so..."

Naruto seemed rather nervous, which confused the Hyuuga. It reminded her of when the shinobi asked her to eat lunch with him. Hinata was still very much in love with Naruto, but she knew better than to think that Naruto returned her feelings. The heiress was contented to maintain an unrequited admiration of the shinobi. Even though she was accustomed to this, Hinata couldn't help the warm blush that crept onto her cheeks at Naruto's request.

"Of course, Naruto-kun. You being there would help a lot," Hinata kindly replied.

Naruto gave her a big smile, and the two departed for the training grounds together. For the next few hours, they trained with Kiba and Shino, until the four parted ways.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for the continuing support! It makes me so happy to see a new review/favorite/follow in my email inbox. :3

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. It was really fun to write the first real SasuHina scene! Poor Sasuke-kun though...just how will he be saved? :'( Well, keep reading to find out! Haha, I feel I'm making one of those DBZ previews... "Will Goku be able to defeat Frieza?! Find out next time!" LOL.

Please review and let me know your thoughts, comments, suggestions, and ideas~! Until the next chappie, my friendly readers. xD


	4. Chapter 4 - Inner Turmoil

Naruto was rather tired, and it was already close to ten o'clock. He sauntered through the village towards his small apartment to get some sleep. However, the shinobi wasn't sure that sleep would even come to him tonight. Worried about Sasuke's fate, Naruto hadn't been able to sleep well for the past few nights. But, of course, he wouldn't show that anxiousness to anyone, especially Hinata. He especially didn't want Hinata to worry over him.

_She has enough on her plate already._

The blonde shinobi was pulled from his thoughts as a familiar kunoichi's voice reached his ears.

"Naruto! Come here for a second."

Turning his head to the sound of Sakura's voice, Naruto plastered a bright smile on his face and waved.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! What's up?"

Sakura was sitting on a bench near a small playground, looking rather pensive. It was late, and Naruto wondered why his former teammate was out at this time. The street was silent except for the dim lamp buzzing near the kunoichi. Naruto took a seat next to Sakura, and she turned to him, her emerald eyes expressing a sorrow that the blonde only knew too well.

"Sakura-chan...Don't worry about Sasuke-teme. Things...should be all right."

Naruto felt his voice waver, and silently cursed himself. If he himself was worried over Sasuke, how could he comfort someone else?

Tears began to fall from Sakura's eyes, and Naruto looked away, allowing her to quietly sob in his presence. The blonde shinobi didn't know what to say to Sakura, nor what to do. Raising his voice hesitantly, Naruto decided just to tell his own thoughts.

"I'm...worried about Sasuke too, Sakura-chan. But Hinata-chan and I are doing our best right now. She's...really working hard. So, we can't lose hope, right?"

"Mm, I'm sorry. I just...really want him to be okay. Am I...allowed to see him, Naruto?"

"I don't know...You'd have to talk with Tsunade-baa-chan."

Sakura looked away and bit her lip slightly.

"You saw him today. How...was he?"

Naruto sighed inaudibly and lightly placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder. He put a small smile on his face and laughed softly.

"He was pretty beat up. But, that Sasuke's strong, right? Anyway, Hinata fixed him up pretty good. And...he seemed to be more like his old self again."

Sakura returned Naruto's smile and got up from her spot on the bench.

"Arigatou, Naruto. I have a night shift at the hospital so I should get going. Next time you see him, tell him I said hi, okay?"

"Ah. You can count on me. See you later, Sakura-chan."

Sakura waved and Naruto waited for her to leave until he continued his walk home. Finally arriving at his apartment, the shinobi unlocked the door and immediately got into his bed, too lazy and distraught to eat or get changed. Naruto felt so powerless in Sasuke's situation, and it depressed and infuriated him to no end. He wasn't able to protect the people he loved from sadness. He couldn't promise anything to anyone. Not even to himself.

Naruto admired Hinata's determination. She seemed so unwavering in her perseverance to save and heal Sasuke. Even in the battlefield, Naruto watched as she stayed for almost eight hours hunched over the Uchiha's body, desperately trying to save him from death. Hinata was also the one who came up with the idea to heal Sasuke in prison.

_That's why... I really care for her. She's always been there for me, like in the battles with Pein and Obito. Hinata-chan is so strong. _

But Naruto, even with Sasuke alive, couldn't guarantee that he'd be able to save his friend from death. How could a man that wasn't even able to save his friend become Hokage?

These thoughts plagued Naruto each night, torturing him and ridiculing him. But he put a smile on his face each morning, not wanting to worry the people he cared for, especially Hinata.

* * *

Hinata lay in her bed, her long raven hair sprawled across her pillow. It had been an eventful day, but the tired kunoichi couldn't seem to get some sleep. Although she felt she was doing the best she could for Sasuke, Hinata didn't know what the Uchiha's overall punishment would be. This scared her, and she turned over and bit her lip softly, deep in thought.

_If Sasuke ends up dying...then all my effort would be for nothing. Naruto-kun would be devastated. And...I would be too._

The girl wondered about Sasuke and how he must be so uncomfortable in his small, cold prison cell at the moment. The thought pained her. She hoped he hadn't been through any more torture since his treatment. Hinata was surprised during the day at how different Sasuke was from her expectations. He was so much...kinder, despite his cold appearance. The Uchiha wasn't gentle, per se, but he wasn't hostile either. But, Hinata could feel the power that rippled underneath his skin, even in his weakened state. He could easily dominate her in a fight. Even so, Hinata didn't feel any fear when taking care of him. Maybe he really had changed from when he joined the Akatsuki.

If that was true, then maybe Sasuke didn't deserve to die.

_I promise I'll do everything I can to save Sasuke from death. For Naruto-kun's sake, and...Sasuke-kun's sake too. _

After making her silent promise, Hinata shifted under her sheets once more before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sasuke lied down in his cell. He wasn't sure whether it was night already, but he was feeling tired and decided to get some sleep. There was no use in getting comfortable; the cold, hard ground wasn't very inviting. But he didn't mind; he'd been through worse.

Sasuke thought about his eventful day. A smirk crossed the black-haired shinobi's face as he remembered the way Hinata had taken care of him. She was amusing enough to help him through these trying times. Despite his attitude, he was happy to have the Hyuuga come every day. The girl made his life just a bit lighter.

Restoring his clan was still important to the shinobi, but he wasn't sure how to go about doing it just yet. It seemed hopeless that his punishment would be anything less than death, no matter how much he told the truth in the questionings.

Sasuke took a deep breath and rolled over. He ran his hands through his hair, his brows furrowed in thought. The Uchiha wasn't sure where he was going, what he was doing. For some reason, at that moment, Hinata's gentle face appeared in his mind. It had an oddly calming effect on him. Relishing the momentary peace, he kept his mind focused on Hinata and soon fell into a light slumber.

* * *

The Hyuuga Heiress yawned as she sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes from sleep. Hinata and Naruto had gone together to treat Sasuke for the past two days. Everything had been much like the first day, although Hinata was less emotional and Sasuke was more prepared for the sealing technique. Hinata was glad that the Uchiha hadn't cried out like the first time; that brought her solace.

Unsteadily, she stepped out from her bed when a sudden knock at the door made her jump.

_Who could be here at six o'clock in the morning?_

Taking a quick look in the mirror to smoothen her mess of hair, Hinata slowly made her way to the door of her room. Opening it softly, she saw one of the Hyuuga guards for the Main House.

"Sorry to disturb you at this hour, Hinata-sama, but you have a guest here to see you."

"Ah...hai. Could you tell them to wait until I finish getting dressed?"

"Sorry, but he needs to see you right now, apparently."

"...I see."

Hinata felt a tad bit irritated that whoever needed to see her couldn't wait, but took a deep breath and stepped past the guard into the family parlor. Jumping slightly as she saw the shinobi waiting for her, the lavender-eyed girl felt her cheeks darken and began to play with her fingers in a nervous gesture.

Naruto stood up from his seat on the edge of a couch, gulping slightly as he saw Hinata enter the room. The blonde shinobi couldn't help himself as his eyes roamed over the shy girl's figure. Her hair tied up messily, Hinata looked terribly adorable with her tight, rumpled nightgown and sleepy mannerisms. Naruto grinned brightly and scratched the back of his head, a small blush overcoming his face.

"You look so cute, Hinata-chan."

At Naruto's comment, Hinata's cheeks reddened like a tomato and she felt rather faint.

"N-n-naruto-k-kun..."

The look of Hinata, flushed and sleepy, was rather enticing to the blond shinobi and he had to slap himself internally to halt the direction of his thoughts. But still, he couldn't help but wonder why Hinata had acted so extremely to his comment. Even he couldn't dismiss the burst of red on her apple cheeks.

Shaking his head slightly, Naruto turned to the blushing girl in front of him and gave a sheepish smile.

"Ah, sorry for surprising you, Hinata-chan."

Naruto's sudden arrival was giving the poor Hyuuga nearly a heart attack, and she willed herself to calm down.

_At this rate, Naruto-kun's going to know that I still have feelings for him...! I have to act natural._

What would a girl who didn't like Naruto say right now? Thank you...?

"A-arigatou, Naruto-k-kun.."

Hinata shook her head slightly to clear her frantic thoughts and calmed herself. Naruto had to be here for an important reason. She couldn't waste his time like this.

Naruto found himself rather confused by the mosaic of emotions that passed over Hinata's face, but decided it was best not to question her about it. Still, the shinobi couldn't help but be a little happy at Hinata's flustered reaction to his comment.

_Maybe she still likes me...!_

"Well, Hinata-chan, I just came by to let you know that I won't be able to come with you today to treat Sasuke. So...be careful, okay?"

"Ahh...o-okay."

Hinata gave Naruto a shaky smile. An awkward silence remained for the next few minutes as the girl poked her fingers together nervously, a blush still on her face. Naruto had to smile at her adorable mannerisms.

"I...I guess I'll be going then. I've got to be on a mission."

"Oh, I s-see. Sorry for wasting your time...Please take care of yourself today."

"I kno6w. And you didn't waste my time, don't worry."

Naruto winked, causing Hinata's heart to skip a beat. The blonde shinobi gave a wave and made his way out of the Hyuuga Mansion, smiling the whole time. He couldn't stop thinking about the Hyuuga. Even with his obtuseness in things like romance, Naruto could see that Hinata might hold some kind of feelings towards him.

_Ahh...She's so cute._

Rubbing his hands over his slightly red face, Naruto made his way to the meeting place for his mission. He was a little worried about Hinata being alone with Sasuke, but after spending time with his best friend for the past three days, Naruto felt that Sasuke really had changed.

_But if Sasuke-teme does anything to Hinata-chan...I'll beat him to a pulp._

The blonde's excitement from seeing Hinata earlier began to cool down, and he started to feel rather tired. He hadn't been able to sleep the previous night, much like the days before as well. Naruto's fear of Sasuke death was still at large in his mind, and the shinobi didn't know how to stop the seemingly inevitable fate. As he began to feel distressed, Hinata's pleasant face appeared in his mind once more, and Naruto smiled softly at the thought.

_If Hinata is so determined to save Sasuke, then I'd better be too._

* * *

**A/N: **Kind of a transition chapter. Sorry it's a bit short. ^-^; And I'm a day late. Life is so busy sometimes. It's so sad. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed! Next chapter will be full of SasuHina goodness, I promise. x3

Thank you for everyone's follows and favorites and reviews! Still makes me so glad. Haha, I freaked out this week because my Email started putting all the fanfiction notifications into the Spam box! I was like "Uwaaa~ T_T nobody likes my story anymore." But then I found out so life was happy and dandy again, hehe. :D

Stay tuned for next week, fun fun readers! :)


	5. Chapter 5 - Passion and Pain

Hinata slid down to the floor after Naruto left, her cool hands placed on her face to stop the ever-burning blush.

_Ahh...He must totally know that I still like him. _

Feeling terribly embarrassed, the girl made her way back to her room to get dressed for the day. She put on her usual baggy jacket and left the mansion to meet up with Shino and Kiba for their training. After a few hours of the heavy exercise, Hinata found herself exhausted.

"Hey, Hinata...how's that thing with Sasuke going?" Kiba inquired.

"Ahh," the girl worked to catch her breath, "it's all right. I'm actually heading there after this."

"Make sure you're careful, okay? I've heard that Sasuke turned into a lunatic."

"Thank you, Kiba-kun. But...I think Sasuke-kun's not as bad as we make him out to be," the Hyuuga answered thoughtfully, wondering why she had the urge to contradict Kiba.

Kiba smiled heartily, "All right, whatever you say. I'll see you tomorrow then, Hinata."

Hinata waved to her ex-teammate as she began to walk away, also giving a smile to the ever-silent Shino. The girl was grateful for her caring friends.

Hinata sighed softly as she made her way toward the prison. Her heart was racing slightly; the kunoichi didn't want to go into the gloomy place without Naruto.

The heiress walked through the doors of the prison building, already disliking the dank feeling. She had gotten used to it with Naruto, but being alone was a totally different story. She walked through the narrow corridors and down the winding staircase, finally making it to Sasuke's floor.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata undid the seals on Sasuke's large door and opened it slowly before closing it behind her. When her eyes met the man's battered form, she frowned softly and swiftly walked towards him.

"Sasuke-kun? Are you all right?" she asked softly, sitting on her knees in front of him.

"Hinata, does it look like I'm all right?" the Uchiha deadpanned.

"N-no, I'm sorry."

"Where's Naruto?"

"Ahh...Naruto-kun couldn't be here today. It's j-just me."

"Hn."

The Hyuuga leaned forward and untied Sasuke's blindfold, giving him a moment to adjust to the light. Sasuke's eyes soon focused on Hinata's lavender, and he felt himself grow rather calm.

Hinata was surprised by the intense, direct gaze Sasuke held on her, and she felt her cheeks beginning to burn slightly.

"Ano, Sasuke-kun, wh-why are you staring at me?"

There was no reply, but still the dark-haired man's eyes wouldn't leave her own. Hinata was growing somewhat nervous. After a good few minutes, Sasuke spoke.

"Hinata, are you scared of me?"

The question caught the kunoichi off guard. She brought her fingers thoughtfully to her lips before answering.

"N-no, I'm not. For some r-reason, I actually feel kind of safe around you, i-in a way."

"Hn," Sasuke snorted at her response, "that's weird."

Hinata smiled softly at him.

"I guess so," she giggled.

Sasuke found himself smirking at her laugh.

"You're so cute, Hinata," the shinobi said impulsively before his eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise at his own comment.

Hinata almost gasped as the words left Sasuke's lips.

_What? Two times in one day?!_

"Wh-what? What did you say?" she inquired, utterly confused.

"I didn't say anything," the man snapped, looking to the side. The Uchiha was feeling rather odd being alone with Hinata, somehow.

_Why the hell would I say that?_

"O-okay," Hinata said, a small blush dusting her cheeks, "I'll start the sealing now."

"Hn," Sasuke replied, his face still to the side.

The Hyuuga started the dreadful technique once more, activating her Byakugan and charging her hands with chakra. She placed her palms on the shinobi's chest and stopped his chakra flow. Sasuke was in pain, but did his best not to show it.

After a few minutes, Hinata sat back and sighed. The Uchiha was doubled over, but his faced continued to show no emotion.

"Are you all right, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah."

"Shall I start the treatment?"

"Yeah."

"O-okay."

After healing his wounds in silence for a few minutes, Hinata frowned. Why was Sasuke acting so distant compared to before? Hesitantly, she rose her voice.

"Ano...Sasuke-kun? Are you mad at m-me?"

"No. Why?"

"Well, you're not t-talking to me…"

"Why do I even need to talk to you?" he replied, his tone hard.

Hinata bit her lip, feeling tears well in her eyes. Sasuke wasn't usually _this _cold and terse around her. She was starting to feel rather intimidated.

"Ahh… I'm… I'm sorry."

After calling Hinata cute, the Uchiha had started to feel very odd inside. Hinata made him feel calm, but there was something more as well. He almost wanted to comfort her, and make her laugh. The weird urges left him annoyed and he decided not to associate closely with her anymore. But, her sincere apology left him even more annoyed, so he lifted a weak hand to her forehead.

"Don't apologize about that, idiot," he replied in his usual emotionless tone, poking her head Itachi-style.

"Okay…"

Hinata shook her head, genuinely confused at Sasuke's behavior. One moment he seemed somewhat kind, the next he was terribly cold. She continued her treatment in silence.

In the quiet, she started to feel bad for pestering Sasuke. The poor man was subjected to so much torture, and here she was annoying him for not talking to her. It was so silly. Hinata frowned and focused her efforts on healing the Uchiha's wounds, noticing the way his toned muscles rippled underneath her fingertips. His skin was so different from Naruto's...so pale. Much like her own. He was so...beautiful.

_I...I can see why all the girls fawned over him._

The girl started to blush when she realized she had stopped healing and was staring rather intently at Sasuke.

The Uchiha smirked at her reddening face, to which Hinata let out a small squeak.

"Ahh...S-sorry, Sasuke-kun."

Calming her nerves, the Hyuuga resumed her treatment.

Sasuke had noticed the girl was checking him out. Usually, he was annoyed when a female looked at him suggestively, but for some reason Hinata's innocent, fascinated face was somewhat amusing. The shinobi enjoyed her flustered reactions.

_She's so...cute._

The man slapped himself internally for his thoughts. Uchiha Sasuke does not say, or think, the word 'cute'.

_The hell is wrong with me._

After another half-an-hour, Hinata had finished her healing in the quite awkward atmosphere. Her chakra exhausted, the girl took a minute to relax before undoing the sealing jutsu. Placing her palms together, Hinata fueled her almost nonexistent chakra into her hands. She quickly restored Sasuke's chakra flow and sat back on her feet once more, panting.

The girl stood up hesitantly before tripping over right into Sasuke's chest.

Instinctively, the Uchiha's arms wrapped around her torso to cushion the fall. Hinata felt her cheeks rise with heat as her face rested comfortably on the man's strong shoulder. His neck smelled of sweat and an enticing oak, only adding fuel to the blush on the Hyuuga's face. Regaining strength in her arms, Hinata started to push herself off Sasuke, but the arms around her wouldn't budge.

Turning her head carefully to Sasuke, Hinata was painfully aware of how close his lips were to hers. The girl started when she took in the Uchiha's expression. His eyes closed, the man looked rather peaceful.

"A-ano, S-s-sasuke-kun, can y-you please l-let me g-go?" Hinata rose her voice, mentally berating herself at how flustered she sounded.

At the sound of her voice, Sasuke's eyes fluttered open, seeming to break out of a trance. He turned towards her, and Hinata felt her blush grow tenfold as his lips lightly brushed hers. Their faces centimeters apart, the Uchiha's brows furrowed and a scowl formed over his lips as he unlocked his arms and roughly pushed the girl away.

"Get out," he growled at her, his voice menacing.

At his words, Hinata felt her eyes brim with tears. Too many emotions raged through her mind and she couldn't handle the confusion. Quickly, the girl picked up the blindfold and tied it around Sasuke's head, touching him as little as possible.

Then, she hurried out of the room. As soon as she closed and sealed the door, Hinata sunk down onto the floor and cried into her arms.

When she had fallen into Sasuke's chest, the girl had felt a kind of safety and giddiness she couldn't explain, although she was embarrassed. Hinata had felt for sure that Sasuke would be fuming at her clumsiness, but his expression was so...different. He looked, in a word, happy. It confused her but left her fascinated. And then, their lips touched. She'd never kissed anyone before, and a kind of shock ran through her body. It was dizzying. But then, the Uchiha's sudden anger left her terrified.

The girl was so, so confused.

* * *

Sasuke sat in his cell after Hinata left, stubbornly trying to ignore the sobs that could be heard through the door. It was the girl's fault for tripping into him. Of course he'd get mad at her. He was _Uchiha Sasuke_, after all.

But the problem was, he wasn't angry.

Hinata's petite figure in his arms was inexplicably comforting to the Uchiha. Her hair smelled of lavender, and Sasuke couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of her so close to him. The intense happiness he derived from the small moment was dizzying. He somehow didn't feel so purposeless with her securely in his arms. But when reality closed in on him as Hinata spoke up, the man became terribly frustrated. Why the hell was he acting this way? And then when his lips touched hers, his frustration climaxed as his body longed to pull her closer.

However, his mind overpowered his body, and Sasuke ended up pouring his frustration onto the innocent girl.

It was cruel, and the shinobi recognized that.

Her horrified, tear-filled eyes were burned into his mind.

I _made her look like that…_

But why did he even freaking care?

Frustrated, Sasuke ran a hand through his dark hair when his eyes met a small object on the floor. He picked it up, examining it carefully.

A small jeweled bracelet rested in his palm.

_It must be Hinata's…_

Sasuke noticed the crying outside the door had slowed, and he genuinely hoped the girl was feeling better.

The man sighed and placed the bracelet next to him. He calmed himself down and tried to think rationally.

_It's rather obvious that I'm feeling something for Hinata. _

But, why? That was the question Sasuke couldn't answer.

_Maybe because of her compassionate nature?_

But honestly, he didn't give a crap about that. It amused him, more often than not.

Still though, the girl was unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But, Sasuke didn't even know what the 'grand scheme' meant in his life, so that statement was utterly meaningless.

_Maybe she is important then…_

The Uchiha shook his head and ran his hands over his face.

Sasuke felt empty. Purposeless. And for some reason, when Hinata was around, he didn't feel that way anymore. This was all the man knew for sure.

Even though he was so intent on restoring the Uchiha clan, at this point in time, such a goal seemed rather fruitless. The hard truth was...

_I am going to die._

Sasuke frowned at the thought, but realized that this was the inevitable end. Only the day before, he had heard guards outside his door predicting that his punishment would most likely be death. There was no way he could be pardoned. For some reason, Hinata made him happy, so couldn't he revel in that happiness for the small remainder of his life?

But he was _Uchiha Sasuke_. Uchiha Sasuke doesn't 'revel' in happiness. The conflicting rationales frustrated him and he audibly groaned.

He quickly quieted himself when the door to his cell sharply opened, however.

A loud voice boomed, "Uchiha Sasuke, time for your questioning."

Sasuke sighed, preparing himself for the onset of pain. He told the truth every time; why did they keep torturing him?

Suddenly, the Uchiha remembered Hinata and he instinctively rose his voice.

"Excuse me. This bracelet belongs to Hyuuga Hinata. Can you make sure it gets back to her?"

_Why the hell am I saying this?_

Even the interrogator was taken back by Sasuke's kind words.

"Ahh… y-yeah."

* * *

**A/N: **Fufufu! Yay for the SasuHina scene! I won't lie, my heart beat fast while writing this chapter. xP

I hope everyone enjoyed~! There's still much in store, so make sure you keep reading. I'm sorry if people think I'm developing this story too fast, but I'm rather impatient to get to some interesting stuff coming up. Again, thank you for all your reviews, favorites and follows. My readers are the best! They always make me happy. x3 Please write your suggestions, comments, and ideas in your reviews. It really helps to get me thinking.

Stay tuned for the next chappie, my friends. :D


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